Queen Margrethe of Denmark has been discharged from hospital after undergoing heart surgery last week. The 86-year-old has returned to Fredensborg Palace, where she has been advised to rest.

The Palace said in a statement: "Her Majesty Queen Margrethe was discharged from Rigshospitalet today and is returning to Fredensborg Palace. In the coming period, Her Majesty will need rest. A planned theatre engagement on May 23 has been cancelled.

Last week, the former sovereign was admitted to hospital after experiencing chest pains, and on Friday, she underwent a coronary angioplasty — a balloon dilation of a coronary artery. The surgery is minimally invasive and is used to open blood vessels that are blocked or narrowed, restoring normal blood flow.

The Palace said on Friday that she "is tired but in good spirits".

The former sovereign reigned over Denmark for 52 years before passing the throne to her eldest son, Frederik, in January 2024.

She cited her health as one of the reasons for her abdication, as she underwent extensive back surgery in February 2023.

"Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future - whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation," she said in her New Year's Eve message. "I have decided that now is the right time."